World sees great Russian team at London Olympics - Mutko

“When we perform as a common large country, we can do much,” Mutko underlined

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LONDON, August 13 (Itar-Tass) —— The world has seen a great Russian team at the London Olympics, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko believes.

“When you know well the situation and capabilities of athletes, it was easy to stay optimistic. I knew that our athletes could intensify fighting to win more medals. Now I would like to congratulate all athletes, as the team performed successfully. We have set the task to perform no worse than in Beijing, but showed a better result. We have won the medals in 20 kinds of sports, we have just not only repeated the Beijing achievements, but have also surpassed them. I believe that the team performed perfectly, and I would like to congratulate one more time athletes, their coaches, congratulate the regions, which raised them and promoted in the big sport,” the minister told Itar-Tass on Sunday. He called the achievements of Russian athletes as the brightest moments of the Olympics.

“All victories, all medals are very valuable for me. They are bright events of the Olympics. I can name almost all our Olympians. Fantastic results were showed in taekwondo, judo, badminton, athletics, rowing, gymnastics, synchronized swimming, diving... In volleyball and basketball...Here we saw a great team – the Russian Olympic team of 2012 and its potential for the future. I am very happy that we opened new kinds of sports for us. We were competing at the level of the United States and China for the number of Russian athletes in the finals of the competitions, fights, athletic and swimming distances. The main conclusion of the Olympics-2012 is that we are a great world sport power. But the competiveness is growing and to keep and develop our traditions, we should work more. Some changes should be made in the work of separate federations to compete with the rivals at the most efficient level,” the Russian high-placed sport official said.

Vitaly Mutko is already thinking about the future of Russian sport , “I cannot say that I am absolutely happy, there were some moments, when it was possible to perform even better, but in general I am satisfied. But to make a step forward, it is needed to work, educate coaches, develop the sport science, medicine, pharmaceuticals, sport psychology and develop children’s sport. We should work on all these issues.”

“When we perform as a common large country, we can do much,” Mutko underlined.